Close Quarters A Novel

Can men and women live together as friends or are sparks destined to fly? When the tension begins to melt into temptation in this novel, it threatens to destroy the relationships of friends and lovers. Three years ago, when Melina Bradford moved into her brownstone apartment in Brooklyn, she didn't anticipate living with anyonecertainly not a man like Malik Denton. Sexist. Crass. Obnoxious. The roommates are a case of polar opposites. An attractive accountant with her own burgeoning firm, Melina's reserved nature clashes with Malik's carefree, single male lifestyle. After a year of living together, the roommates discover things about one another that would have been better left unsaid. Recently engaged to one of the most successful African-American men in the country, Melina finds herself questioning what her future will be like. Though Ellison Harlow III can provide Melina with financial security, she wonders if he can sustain her emotionally. Malik eagerly provides Melina with the excitement she is missing in her life with Ellison. With a wedding looming, the roommates ponder why they came into each other's lives and whether they can live without one another. They can't…and they won't.

Shamara Ray is a graduate of Syracuse University. She is the author of Recipe for Love, Close Quarters, You Might Just Get Burned, Rituals for Love, and Cater to You. Ray has a penchant for the culinary arts and enjoys entertaining friends and family in her Long Island home. She is currently working on her next novel.